Shipping and display container

ABSTRACT

A combined shipping and display container, the body of which contains a filler member with cavities adapted to holding articles, having a hinged lid constructed of a double thickness of cardboard, both sides of which are suitable for advertising purposes; and an improved means for releasably maintaining the lid in an open position, the improvement comprising one or more tabs extending across the lid hinge axis, cut from the blank form from which the container is made, coplanar with the lid and body portions of the container when the lid is in a closed position.

United States Patent [191 Jeronimus SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CONTAINER [75] Inventor: Patrick R. Jeronimus, Park Forest,

[73] Assignee: The Gillette Company, Boston,

Mass.

[22] Filed: Aug. 9, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 279,212

[52] US. Cl. 206/44 R, 206/452, 206/4521,

229/44 R, 206/4529 [51] Int. Cl B65d 5/50, 865d 5/52 [58] Field of Search 229/44 R, 44 CB, 45; 206/4528, 45.29, 44 R, 45.2, 45.21, 45.11

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,401,908 6/1946 Calhoun et a1 206/44 R Mar. 26, 1974 4/1934 Srofe ..206/45.29 2/1925 Rippenbein 206/4529 Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance Assistant Examiner-Douglas B. Farrow 5 7 ABSTRACT 5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PAIEN-IEUmzs um 28 Fla 2 FIG. I

III!!! 8 O FIG. 3

FIG. 6c

FIG. 4

1 SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CONTAINER This invention is concerned with a container that serves a dual role as a vehicle for both shipping and display purposes. The container is composed of a single blank form or member of paperboard, cardboard or the like reinforced and strengthened by a filler member which closely engages the inner surfaces of the paperboard member; in the upper surface of the filler member are cavities designed to hold articles for display when the lid is open.

The invention provides an improved means for releasably maintaining the lid in an open position for display purposes. This improvement comprises at least one tab extending across the hinge axis, and movable to and from closed and open positions. The tab in the closed position is coplanar with the lid and body portion, and when closed is foldable along the axis of the lid hinge to permit the opening and closing of the lid. The tab is connected with the lid solely along a first hinge line extending transversely of the lid hinge axis, and is connected with the body portion solely along a second hinge line extending transversely of the lid hinge axis; the first and second tab hinge lines intersect at the lid hinge axis and subtend an obtuse angle with each other. The tab is movable along the first and second hinge lines to and from an open position in which the tab extends outwardly from the lid and body'portion to maintain the lid in an open position.

The invention also provides a means for releasably maintaining the lidin an open position which does not interfere with the use of the surfaces of the container for advertising displaypurposes. The lid can be a single layer of cardboard but is preferably constructed of a double layer of cardboard, both layers being suitable to receive printed advertising display matter. In this case, both the inner and outer faces of the lid can be printed in a single operation. The hinge line of the lid runs only through the outside layer of cardboard.

The invention also provides a means for releasably maintaining the lid in an open position which can be efficiently and economically arranged as a unitary part of the form from which the lid and outer body portion of the container are made.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a perspectiveview of a preferred embodiment of the container with the lid in the closed position; I

FIG. 2 is'aperspective view of the container from about thesame reference point, showing the lid in the open position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container with the lid open with the cavityvco'ntaining filler member'partially inserted in the body portion;

FIG. '4 is a plan view of the blank form fromwhich the container and lid are formed;

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-section taken at lines 5- 5 of FIG. 2 showing schematically various positions of the lid from closed (a) to open (b,

FIG. 6 (a) is a view taken at lines 6--6 of FIG. when the lid is at closed position (a); I

FIG. 6 (b) is a view taken at lines 6--6 of FIG. '5 when the lid is at position (b); and

FIG-'6 (c) is a view taken at lines 6--6 of FIG.'5 when the lid is at position (0).

In the preferred embodimennas shown in the drawing. a body portion indicated generally at 10 is composed of a folded unitary element 12 (FIG. 4) consisting of a blank of paperboard or its equivalent. Several fold lines divide the blank into bottom 14, front and rear walls 16, 18, upper wall 19, and end walls 20, 22. Both front and rear walls and both end walls are provided with tabs 24, 24 joined to their respective walls along fold lines. Upper wall 19 has a large central opening 26 and is provided with a glue flap 27 arranged to be glued to the upper inside surface of rear wall 18. Lid 28 is formed from a panel joined to rear wall 18 along a folded hinge line or axis 40. An additional panel 30 is preferably joined to lid 28 along a fold line so that when folded and glued against the inner surface of the lid it acts as a stiffener for the lid and also provides a double face for the lid, facilitating the printing of display information on the inside as well as the outside of the lid when the paperboard etc. is single faced material. A filler member is provided in the form of a rectangular block 32 of plastic foam material having cavities 34 in its upper face for receiving and holding articles to be shipped and displayed. Block 32 is of such a size as to fit snugly within the enclosure formed by the several walls of blank 12, serving to reinforce and stiffen the walls.

Means for releasably maintaining the lid 28 in open position consists of a pair of spaced apart tabs 36, 38, each of which extends across the axis 40. Each tab is a part of unitary blank 12, each is joined to lid 28 by spaced opposing hinge lines 42', 44, as best seen in FIG. 4, and each is joined to rear wall 18 by spaced opposing hinge lines 46, 48. The remainder of each tab is severed from lid 28 and rear wall 18 by a cut 50. Hinge lines 42 and 46 of tab intersect at the axis of the lid hinge 40 subtending, as best seen in FIG. 4, an obtuse angle with each other. Hinge lines 44 and 48 of tab 38 similarly subtend an obtuse angle. Afinger opening 52 is preferably provided adjacent each cut 50 to facilitate erection of the tabs. I

The container is assembled by folding blank 12, bonding glue tab 27 to rear wall 18, inserting filler 32, then closing end walls 20, 22 which, together with tabs 24, 24 maintain the filler member in position. Tabs 36, 38 are coplanar withlid 28 and rear wall 28 respectively when the lid is closed (FIG. 1). When the lid is opened to a vertical position the margins of tabs 36, 38 maybe grasped through openings 50, 50 and the tabs may then be erected or moved to a position in which they extend outwardly from the lid and rear wall by folding or pivoting along hinge lines 42, 46 and 44, 48 respectively. Because of the obtuse angle subtended by the hinge lines, when the tabs are moved to the position shown in FIG. 6 (b), the lid is maintained in a position somewhat beyond the vertical, shown at (b) in FIG. 5. When the tabs 36, 38 extend at right angles to rear wall 18 as shownin FIG. 6 (0), so that they lie in a plane defined by their respective hinge lines, lid 28 is inclined still further beyond the vertical to position (c) of FIG. 5. The obtuse angle subtended by the first and second hinge l ne sizr f ra ly m13 to tq th me desirable position of the open lid.

When lid 28 is closed, the articles in the cavities 34 are protected for shipment or storage; when the lid is maintained in open position by tabs 36, 38 the articles are displayed through opening 26.

While a single tab 36 may serve to maintain the lid in open position, the open position of the lid is much more stable when two are used, as shown'in the preferred embodiment.

Other embodiments are within the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a container having a lid hinged to the body of the container and means for releasably maintaining the lid in open position, the improvement in which said means comprises at least one tab extending across said lid hinge axis, and movable to and from closed and open positions, said tab in the closed position being coplanar with said lid and body portion and being foldable along the axis of said lid hinge to permit opening and closing of said lid, said tab being connected to said lid solely along a first hinge line extending transversely of said lid hinge axis and being connected to said body portion solely along a second hinge line extending transversely of said lid hinge axis, said first and second hinge lines intersecting at said lid hinge axis and subtending an obtuse angle with each other, said tab being movable along said first and second hinge lines to and from open position in which said tab extends outwardly from said lid and body portion to maintain said lid in open position.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which said lid is maintained in a position beyond an upright position when said tab lies in the plane defined by said intersecting first and second hinge lines.

3. A container as defined in claim 1 in which said means comprises a pair of said tabs in spaced apart position.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3 in which said body portion, said lid and said tabs are formed ofa unitary element of paperboard or the like and said hinges comprise folds in said paperboard.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4 in which said body portion is reinforced and strengthened by a filler member closely engaging the inner surfaces of said body portion and having cavities in its upper surface adapted to hold articles for display when said lid is in open position. 

1. In a container having a lid hinged to the body of the container and means for releasably maintaining the lid in open position, the improvement in which said means comprises at least one tab extending across said lid hinge axis, and movable to and from closed and open positions, said tab in the closed position being coplanar with said lid and body portion and being foldable along the axis of said lid hinge to permit opening and closing of said lid, said tab being connected to said lid solely along a first hinge line extending transversely of said lid hinge axis and being connected to said body portion solely along a second hinge line extending transversely of said lid hinge axis, said first and second hinge lines intersecting at said lid hinge axis and subtending an obtuse angle with each other, said tab being movable along said first and second hinge lines to and from open position in which said tab extends outwardly from said lid and body portion to maintain said lid in open position.
 2. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which said lid is maintained in a position beyond an upright position when said tab lies in the plane defined by said intersecting first and second hinge lines.
 3. A container as defined in claim 1 in which said means comprises a pair of said tabs in spaced apart position.
 4. A container as claimed in claim 3 in which said body portion, said lid and said tabs are formed of a unitary element of paperboard or the like and said hinges comprise folds in said paperboard.
 5. A container as claimed in claim 4 in which said body portion is reinforced and strengthened by a filler member closely engaging the inner surfaces of said body portion and having cavities in its upper surface adapted to hold articles for display when said lid is in open position. 